Computer aided engineering (CAE) has been used for supporting engineers in many tasks. For example, in a structure or product design procedure, CAE analysis, in particular finite element analysis (FEA), has often been employed to evaluate responses (e.g., stresses, displacements, etc.) under various loading conditions (e.g., static or dynamic). One of the most important computer simulations is to simulate a vehicle colliding with a rigid wall. The rigid wall can be either stationary or moving. Generally, the vehicle is moving into a rigid wall fixed in space. However, in simulating roof crushing of an automobile, the rigid wall moves into a stationary automobile. Such a simulation can be used for assisting a user to design automobiles to meet the safety requirements. One of the key information gathered is the rigid wall force (RWF) caused by the impact between the automobile and the rigid wall. A total rigid wall force summary is provided in such a numerical simulation according to prior art approaches. However, automotive engineers would like to learn the spatial distribution of the total rigid wall force, so that a better automobile can be designed and/or built. In physical prototype crash tests, a number of load cells each attached to a segment of the rigid wall are generally installed to determine the spatial force distribution (i.e., RWF at various locations or segments on the rigid wall). However, this force distribution information does not provide any detail as to how each vehicle structural component contributes to the total rigid wall force. Such detailed information cannot be obtained experimentally for complex vehicle structures. Design engineers use this information for determining the load path through the vehicle in the structural component design and modification. It would, therefore, be desirable to have methods and systems for providing detailed rigid wall force summary in a time-marching numerical simulation of a vehicle colliding with a rigid wall.